Sanctuary Window for St. Anthony's Roman Catholic Church in Thunder Bay, Ontario

Description:

Churches
Applying techniques such as leaded glass, acid etching, painting, sand blasting and fused glass, Kleewyck Stained Glass Studio designed and fabricated the fourteen stations of the cross and the sanctuary window for St. Anthony's Roman Catholic Church in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Damon used a contemporary design which was incorporated into an open circular space created with a natural setting of birch wood, grey greens and purple slate and light coloured walls and ceiling.
To connect the viewer with the emotional impact of each station of the cross Damon used an overall colour theme. One will notice this colour theme as they move along the path of the stations. Muted violets and soft yellows/ambers are eventually transformed into deep violets or vibrant reds as the stations progress from the condemnation of Christ by Pilot to the Entombment. The colour theme exerts their influence in time and rhythm as one would experience a piece of music.
"St. Mathews Passion by Bach was used to provide an emotional basis to design the windows. The spriritual composition provided a link, enabling me to connect at any time with the work and instill a sense of continuity. I attempted to create honest images, free from false sentiment. I wanted the windows to reflect human compassion and the strength and freedom that comes from forgiveness."
When creating a design, the artist considers the architecture, interior surroundings, themes to be expressed, light sources, integration of the new window with other existing windows, expressed concerns of the parish members and liturgy, time frames and budget requirements.

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Creator:

Artist: Damon W. Dowbak

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Location: St. Anthony's Roman Catholic Church in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.
About the Artist:
Damon Dowbak has worked in the medium of stained glass for twenty-five years. He has studied with international glass masters Patrick Reyntiens and Johannas Schreiter. Damon is a member of the national organization Artists in Stained Glass. Estella Howard works together with Damon in fabricating stained glass windows. As well, Estella works with fused glass, creating original decorative plates and bowls. Their son Joshua Dowbak works with sand carved glass. Together they make up Kleewyck Stained Glass Studio.
Damon's strong sense of design and versatility as a multi media artist is evident in his work, as characteristics of one medium will often be reflected in another.
“I am often faced with the challenges of bringing elements together. Finding where they converge. Although the various forms of animate and inanimate life in the world seem separate and dissimilar, they are, at the most profound level, inseparable, similar, and one.”